Wagon loading attachment for combines



Nov. 22, 1955 E. A. WEISHAAR 2,724,516

WAGON LGADING ATTACHMENT FOR COMBINES Original Filed April 13, 1950 2Sheets-Sheet l Emr'z ch Weishaar' Nov. 22, 1955' w ls 2,724,516

WAGON LOADING ATTACHMENT FOR COMBINES Original Filed April 13, 1950 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I' #2911251 Emrz'ch A. WeisZ Laav United States Patent ceWAGON LOADING ATTACHMENT FOR COMBINES Emrich A. Weishaar, Ashton, 111.

4 Claims. (Cl. 214-42 This application is a division of my copendingapplication, Serial No. 155,696, filed April 13, 1950, which resulted inPatent No.2,667,028, issued January 26, 1954.

This invention relates to a new and improved wagon loading attachmentdesigned for easy application to existing harvester-threshers orcombines.

In harvesting standing grain with a combine it was the practice, priorto my invention, toucatchand store the freshlycut and threshed grain. ina bin, and unload the grain from the bin into wagons spotted as well ascan be around thefield in anticipation of this, the combine beingstopped for each unloading operation when the bin is filled. Asdisclosed in my patent mentioned above, the time loss involved in thatold procedure is avoided by providing an attachment whereby the graincan be discharged directly into atrailing wagon as it is harvested, the.grain being diverted into the bin only occasionally by the opening up ofa rope-controlledbypass gate or 1 battle plate provided for that purposeandoperable from the tractor seat, as, for example, when unhitching afilled wagon and hitching another wagon in place of it, also in turningcorners sharply with. a narrow box wagon. at which time grain isotherwise apt to be thrown onto the ground, and when the binisbeingfilled as :a reservoir,

and in the harvesting of small seeds or grains not bulky enough torequire a wagon. i

The attachment comprises an elongated conveyor tube or conduit extendingfrom a point over the bin and under the grain elevator dischargerearwardly over the combine body to a point over the wagon boxand havinga power operated auger working thefull lengththereof to convey the grainto the wagon, the attachment including what is covered in theaforementioned patent, namely, an inverted generally L-shaped chute, oneleg of which extends from the grain elevator discharge to the intake endof the grain conveyor conduit and the other leg of which is directeddownwardly into the bin so that a gate or baflie plate pivoted at thejunction of the arms of the L and normally spring-pressed to one extremeposition closing the entrance to the last named downwardly directedlegof the L-shaped chute, will serve when operated to the other extremeposition to stop the discharge of grain into the conveyor conduitimmediately and divert the grain directly into the bin so long as thegate is held open.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide a swivelleddischarge spout on the rear end of the grain conveyor conduit connectedwith the wagon pole or tongue byintermediate linkage of improved designso that the spout is swung sidewise one way or the other automaticallyin accordance with the lateral swing of the pole in relation to thecombine in making a turn.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which--Fig. 1 is a perspective view from the rear showing enough of the combineand the leading tractor and trailing wagon to enable a good illustrationof the wagon loading attachment and showing the way in which the gate orbaffie plate in the bypass is operated from the 2,724,516 Patented Nov.22, 1955 rangement of the inverted L-shaped chute between the elevator.and the intake end of the grain conveyor conduit, and also the crank foroperating the gate or bafile plate and the spring and rope connected.therewith;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the combine and wagon showing theswivel discharge spout and the linkage connecting the wagon pole andspout;

Fig. 4 is a larger diagrammatic view of the spout operating linkage; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective of said linkage.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding partsthroughout the views.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 3 designates thecombine, and 9 the tractor pulling the same, by meansof its draw-bar 10,and furnishing the drive through its power take-off, as indicated at 11.12 is the bin on the front portion of the combine arranged to receivethe freshly threshed grain discharged from an endless-belt bucket typegrain elevator 13. An unloading auger type conveyor 14 communicates withthe hopper bottom of the bin 12 and is adapted to be thrown intooperation at will and swung sidewise to an unloading position totransfer grain from the bin to a wagon placed alongside the combine.However, in accordance with my invention, the wagon 15 to be filled withgrain is hitched behind the combine 8, as shown at 16, and an auger typeconveyor 17 is provided extending from a point over the bin 12 and underthe discharge end of the grain ele vator 13 rearwardly over the combine8 to a point over the wagon box 15 and having a power operated auger 18working the full length thereof to convey the grain to the wagon, sothat, instead of harvesting only a bin full and stopping periodically toempty the grain into a wagon, the grain is delivered into the wagon asit is harvested and a wagon full is harvested before there is anynecessity for stopping the combine, and then only long enough to hitchanother wagon onto the combine, thereby saving usually about 25% ofharvesting time, reckoning in relation to the old procedure. The auger18 may be driven continuously in anysuitable or preferred manner. I haveshown a pulley 19 suitably fixed on the projecting inner end of theauger shaft 20, connected by a belt 21 with a pulley 22 provided on andsuitably fixed to the idler shaft 23 at the upper end of the conveyor13, this shaft carrying a sprocket, as indicated in dotted lines at 24,which meshes with the links of belt 25 forming a part of the conveyor,whereby the belt, which is suitably driven at its lower end from thepower take-off of the tractor, transmits drive to shaft 23. The wagonloading attachment includes "an inverted L-shaped chute 26, one leg 27of which extends from the grain elevator discharge to the intake end 28of the grain conveyor conduit, and the other leg 29 of which constitutesa bypass and is directed downwardly into the bin 12, and 'a sheet metalgate or bafile plate 30, which is pivoted at the junction of the arms ofthe L by rigid connection with the bearing axle portion 31 of a crank32, that is rotatably mounted in registering holes provided in theopposed side walls of the chute, is normally spring-pressed to oneextreme position closing the entrance 33 to the downwardly. directed leg29 of the chute, so that grain discharged from elevadirect the graindischarged over the gate into the passage 37 in the leg 27 leading toconveyor 17. Whenever the flow of grain to the wagon is to beinterrupted, as for any one of the reasons enumerated before, the driver38 of the tractor merely pulls a rope 39 to swing the gate Upwardly soas to divert the grain di'r'ectly into the bin 12 through bypass 29 solong as' the gate is held open against the action of the return spring34. The rope 39 extends from the tractor seat rearwardly and upwardly toand over a pulley 40 carried on the upper end of elevator 13 and down tothe crank 32 to which it is connected in a hole 41 provided in the freeend. In passing, it will be observedin Fig.- 1 that conduit '17 issupported intermediate its ends by a collar 42 carried on the upper endof a prop 43 suitably attached at its lower 'endto the back of thecombine 8 and braced near its upper end, as at 44, from the top 'of thecombine. The conduit 17 is, of course, otherwise supported by itsconnection at the intake end 23 with the shell of elevator 13, throughchute 26. The subject matter just described is claimed in the parentapplication, Serial No. 155,696.

A discharge spout 45 is swivelled as by a ring 46 on a downwardlyextending cylindrical neck 47 provided on the discharge end of conduit17. A sling 48 extends between the end of conduit 17 and points ondiametrically opposite sides of the spout intermediate the ends thereoffor support thereof in any position of swivel movement Within a range ofabout 60, which is more than-ample for the present purposes, namely, tofollow the lateral shifting of the wagon box in relation to the conduit17 coming as a result of the combine making a turn in one direction oranother, whereby to keep the stream of grain discharging from the spoutproperly directed to go into the wagon box and not alongside it. An arm49 extends rigidly from one side of swivel ring 46 and has a link 50pivotally connected to its outer end and slidable in a guide 51extending rigidly laterally from the conduit 17. At its other end thelink 50 is pivotally connected to an arm 52 fixed on and extendingradially from the upper end of a vertical shaft 53 that is suitablysupported in bearings 54 on the back of combine 8. 'Another arm 55 isfixed on the lower end of shaft 53 and this arm is pivotally andslidably, as well yieldably, connected with the one end portion of alink 56 whose other end is pivotally connected with the front endportion of the wagon pole 16, near the pivotal axis or king bolt 57connecting the pole 16 to combine 8. Springs 58 are caged on link 56 onboth sides of a sleeve 59 providing the pivotal slidable connection 60for link 56 with arm 55 so that the spout is operated with a yieldingthrust and the operation is much smoother. Also, sudden shifts of pole16 will not result in jerky motion of spout 45 and possibly cause thethrowing of grain over one side or the other of the wagon. Adjustingnuts 61 threading on link 56 abut the outer ends of springs to vary thespring loading as necessary, and nuts 62 serve as lock nuts. With thepresent system of linkage for interconnection of the spout and pole, ifpole 16 moves in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4, itis readily apparent that shaft 53 is accordingly given counterclockwisemovement, thereby transmitting a forward pull to link 50 and causingspout 45 to move in a clockwise direction also, the movement of thelatter being in the proper ratio, of course, to pole movement so as tokeep the flow of grain directed alike into the central or near centralportion 'of the wagon box regardless of the course followed by thecombine. In that way the driver 38 on the tractor, who has enough otherduties to keep him busy, is not called upon to pull the rope 39 nearlyso often, and there is also less likelihood of any grain being lost.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding ofthe objects. and advantages of my invention. The appended claims 'havebeen drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. The combination with a combine, of an elevator on said combine forcarrying. threshed grain from said combine, a conveyor conduit forconducting grain from said elevator,a power-operated auger in saidconduit, a wagon pivotally hitched to the combine by a pole in trailingrelation to said combine in grain-catching relation to the discharge endof said conveyor conduit, a spout swivelled on said discharge end, avertical shaft oscillatably supported on said combine, an arm fixed onthe upper end of said shaft, an arm fixed to said spout, a linkpivotally connected at its opposite ends to said arms, another arm fixedon the lower end of said shaft, and a link pivotally connected at itsopposite ends to the latter arm'and to the pole.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 including spring means inconnection with one of said links for yieldably transmitting thrust fromthe pole to the spout.

3. The combination with a combine, of an elevator on said combine forcarrying threshed grain from said combine, a conveyor conduit forconducting grain from said elevator, a power-operated auger in saidconduit,'a Wagon pivotally hitched to the combine by' a pole in trailingrelation to said combine in grain-catching relation to the discharge endof said conveyor conduit, a spout swivelled on said discharge end, avertical shaft 'oscillatably supported on said combine, an arm-fixed onthe upper end of said shaft, "an arm fixed to said spout, a linkpivotally connected at its opposite ends to said arms, another arm fixedon the lower end of said shaft, a link slidably pivtal-ly connected atone end portion thereof to 'the latter arm and pivotally connected atits other end to the pole, and spring means acting between said latterarm and last mentioned link yieldably resisting sliding motion of saidlink relative to said arm whereby to transmit thrust yieldably from thepole to the spout.

4. The combination with a combine, of an elevator on said combine forcarrying threshed grain from said combine, a conveyor conduit forconducting grain from said elevator, a power-operated auger in saidconduit, a wagon pivotally hitched to the combine by a pole in trailingrelation to said combine in grain-catching relation to the discharge endof said conveyor conduit, a spout swivelled on said discharge end, avertical shaft oscillatably supported on said combine, an arm fixed onthe upper end of said shaft, an arm fixed to said spout, a linkpivotally connected at its opposite ends to said arms, another arm fixedon the lower end of said shaft, a link having pivotal connections at itsopposite ends to the latter arm and to the pole, one of said pivotalconnections permitting sliding endwise movement of said link withiies'p'ect to said pivot, and spring means yieldably r'esi'sting suchendwise movement whereby to transmit thrust yieldably from the pole tothe spout.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,306,462 Bergerud June 10, 1919 1,615,334 MacGregor Jan. 25, 19272,022,166v 'Welty Nov. 26, 1935 2,377,760 Court June 5, 1945 2,496,472Huddle s Feb. 7, 1950 2,625,001 Heun Ian. 13, 1953

